St. Vincent de Paul impacts Poverty in Georgia by $16.9 million

Atlanta, GA–St. Vincent de Paul Atlanta (SVdP) released 2010 outcome measurement results which demonstrate the impact of their programs and services on poverty and need in North and Middle Georgia. Overall, SVdP Atlanta provided nearly $17 million in financial, material, and educational support to people in need in 2010, an increase of more than 20 percent from 2009.  The Society helped nearly 185,000 people last year, an increase of more than 5,000 people from 2009.

Even while struggling with the ability to maintain staffing and services in this difficult economy,  SVdP was able to increase its support to those in need thanks to the generosity and  increased support of its donors, dedicated volunteer service, belt tightening and cost-cutting within the operation.

Through reducing costs and increasing fundraising efforts, SVdP was able to serve more people, providing more than $8.7 million in financial assistance to people in need in Georgia. This support helped people stay in their homes, keep the electric, the gas and the water turned on, or paid other bills; thereby giving people help and offering them hope. That financial assistance and the food, clothing, furniture, household furnishings, cars, and professional services they provided had a direct economic impact on poverty and need in Georgia of nearly $17 million.

SVdP’s volunteers, numbering more than 4,000, work in 70 Conferences in 55 counties throughout North and Middle Georgia, providing financial assistance, goods and services through 38 food pantries, 10 Thrift Stores and four Family Support Centers. These volunteers gave more than 320,000 hours of service, helping nearly 185,000 people in 2010.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Atlanta empowers people, regardless of their background, ethnicity, or faith, to achieve self-sufficiency by offering financial, material, educational, and spiritual support and by collaborating with others to develop and deliver programs and services that help those in need.

Fresh and Frozen Food Distribution Program

I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you a very Happy New Year and offer our hope that this will be a year of wishes come true and dreams realized for you and yours.  We are excited at St. Vincent de Paul because the New Year brings with it the long awaited expansion of one of our most important and necessary programs.  With the installation of a new commercial sized refrigerator freezer at the Chamblee location, we will now be able to increase our capacity for distribution of fresh and frozen food to our 38 food pantries in North and Middle Georgia.

The story behind this program is a great lesson in how SVdP Atlanta is working with community partners and business in helping alleviate hunger and need in Georgia.  This program will allow us to increase by ten-fold and more the amount of high quality meat, protein, fruit, and vegetables that we supply to our food pantries and that they provide to people in need locally.

In early spring, Kroger approached SVdP about accepting large monthly donations of meat and other perishable foods. While we at SVdP Atlanta were excited to have the opportunity to enter into this new partnership so that we could expand the selection and nutritional quality of the food offered to the thousands of people we serve each year through its food pantries, we knew that the project would require us to acquire freezers for each of our participating SVdP local food pantries, as well as, a large industrial sized unit at our central distribution location.   We also knew that the volume of food and the logistics of getting it to the local food pantries would require us to obtain another refrigerated truck to assist with distributing the food to outlying areas.

So our team went to work and began contacting benefactors and foundations to support our efforts to raise $150,000 to kick off the program.  And today, on this first week of the New Year, I am pleased to be able to tell you that SVdP has raised more than $100,000 of that money. Through grants and gifts from the Cox Foundation, Georgia Power, The Catholic Foundation of North Georgia, the Helen & Marian Woodward Fund, the Allen Lindsey Branan Foundation and other funds raised from the SVdP’s benefiting partnership with the Atlanta Community Food Bank’s Hunger Walk/Run, we were able to purchase and install the new commercial freezer in late December 2010. 
  
The launch of the program moves SVdP closer to our vision of a new distribution model with several more facilities throughout North and Central Georgia. By collaborating with Kroger, SVdP will be able to provide as much as 20,000 lbs of perishable foods to clients each month. That is 10 tons a month, 120 tons or 240,000lbs of food each year. Our other existing partnerships with Whole Foods, Panera Bread, and Publix will add to the amount of perishable food SVdP will have available for those in need.

As we move further into 2011, we are committed to maintaining the work and programs that support our mission while we develop new and different ways to approach and manage them. We hope your new year is filled with similar opportunity and that you will continue to follow our progress and support our efforts.  


Sincerely,
John

A Lesson in the Price of Hunger

In early November the Family Support Center at St. Vincent de Paul was visited by a group of young people and teacher moderators for a Community Service project for their school.  The visit developed into one of the most interesting experiences for, not only the young people, but for the staff and those we serve.  As was noted on our website:

When the students from Wesleyan School arrived at the St. Vincent de Paul Family Support Center this morning to volunteer, they suspected they’d be sorting clothing for the Thrift Store. Little did they know, they would have a profound, life-changing experience.

Their first impression was the smell of coffee, an absolute must in every office in the morning. They noticed the smell changed as they entered the Family Support Center. They said it smelled sweet, like baked goods.

They jumped right in sorting the donated bread and pastries and moved on to stocking the Food Pantry shelves. They were surprised and shocked to see how little food there was to put on the shelves. They went about getting everything on the shelves and asked their teacher, Steve Broyles, what else they could do to help. He gathered the group together.

The group talked for a few minutes and decided to take up a collection among themselves. They came up with $150 and off they went to purchase food at the grocery store.  This provided the opportunity to practice real life family economics. They returned with several bags and cases of food. SVdP weighed the items and they weighed 112 lbs. The students immediately got busy putting the newly purchased food on the food pantry shelves.”

The article concluded with the following sentence, “With hope, the lesson will resonate with them; they will share the lesson with their friends and families, and continue to look for more ways to help.

In yesterday’s mail I received a letter and donation from one of the young people who visited in early November. 

The letter reads as follows:

I am a student at Weslyan School and I recently came to work at the food pantry with a peer group a few weeks ago.  As you may know each year our high school students participate in Serve His Day, which gives us the opportunity to serves places in the community, and those that may be less fortunate.

I am taking a health class this semester.  One of our class requirements is to do a service project.  I did a project for my neighbors, taking care of two large greyhounds while they were away visiting family on Thanksgiving.  They paid me forty dollars ($40) and I am now sending this money to you at St. Vincent de Paul to use as you see fit.    Sincerely,  - A student from the Class of 2014.

Nothing more really needs to be said.  What a profound act of generosity!  What a story of hope!  What an example from a young high school student that speaks volumes to us.

Our Vision

In the spring of 2008 the Board of Directors Of St. Vincent de Paul Atlanta met at an off-site retreat and developed a new Vision Statement for our organization.  It reads:

 

The Vision of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Atlanta is to change the face of charity by offering hope as well as help to all through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Our Vision begins; “To change the face of charity…” What’s so powerful about those few opening words is that they are so deep and broad and inclusive. They incorporate things we are familiar with, like “Don’t just give someone a fish, but teach them how to fish” yet it also allows us to dream and look to those things that have not yet been thought of.  Bobby Kennedy used to say “Some men see things as they are and ask why; I dream things that never were and say, why not?”  Our vision statement calls on us to dream things that never were and to develop ways to make them a reality.

Our Vision continues “…by offering hope as well as help to all…” There are some key concepts in these nine words.  ‘Offering’ is one.  This acknowledges that we can’t give people hope.  Hope is an internally driven emotion.  We can no more give hope to someone than we can give them any other emotion.  But what we can do is change the circumstances in which they exist through help so that they will have an opportunity to have hope.  In order to have hope you must have faith.  And in order to faith you must have love.  Love comes to those in need from us through our help.  Our help, whether it be financial, material, educational, or spiritual (our mission) is what gives people faith that things will get better. And that leads to hope.  And finally   “…to all…” acknowledges that we are here for those of all backgrounds, faiths, and ethnicities.  We serve all his people.

And our Vision concludes “… through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.”   This acknowledges and celebrates our Catholic heritage and our commitment to the foundation of the Society.  It also acknowledges that it is God who directs what we do, not man.  We serve because we are called to serve and the Holy Spirit watches over and blesses our work.

We are about to begin the development of a new Strategic Plan in 2011.  That plan will help us to turn our vision into reality for the many people that we help every day here in Georgia.

John

A Shiny Brand New Freezer. Take a Look at the Transformation!

In early spring, Kroger approached SVdP about accepting large monthly donations of meat and other perishable foods. Since good quality protein is hard to come by for clients, SVdP jumped on the chance to receive meat on a regular basis. This project requires us to install a commercial grade freezer for the Chamblee Conference Support Center, provide freezers for each participating Conference and a buy another truck to assist with distributing the food to the outlying Conferences. The entire project will require a total of $150,000.  

Since raising the first $75,000, we have begun the installation of the commercial refrigerator and freezer. It seems like our warehouse has been transformed overnight. Where towering storage shelves once sat, there is a shiny brand new freezer.

What’s great about this is we are now one giant step closer to becoming a functioning food distribution center. So, more people throughout North Georgia will have access to more food. We’ll be able to supply suburban Conferences with perishable foods and meats. This means better nutrition for our clients, which leads to better health and a better future.

Before

The space before installation.

The beginning of installation  this morning.

There a re a lot of pieces/parts!

Take look at the transformation!

Did You Know?

Often when I meet people for the first time the subject of 'What do you do?' comes up.  I guess we all tend to use the exchange of occupational information as a comfortable and easy way to develop relationships and find common ground with others.

Usually, when I tell people that I work with St. Vincent de Paul. I get one of three reactions;   the first being a quizzical stare or a furrowed brow as people try and figure out who and what St. Vincent de Paul is, the second an enthusiastic 'Oh, your the people with the great Thrift Stores, or finally a comment about what great work SVdP does for people in need in our community.

Each of those, for me, is a great response.  Because in the first case I get to tell people about all the incredible things that St. Vincent de Paul does (and has done since 1903) for the people in need here in Georgia and across the world.  In the second case I get to tell people, 'Well if you think the Thrift Stores are great wait till you hear about everything else we do!".  And in the third case I get to thanks them and see how they can engage with us to continue that great work.

So which of those three answers would you give?  Since you're on this website and reading this blog you likely know something about SVdP and the work we do.  But how much do you know?

Did you know that SVdP Atlanta is one of the Top 50 biggest nonprofits in Georgia and that last year we helped over 179,000 people?

Did you know we operate over 35 food pantries, 10 Thrift Stores, 4 Family Support Centers, and 2 temporary housing programs?

Did you know that we conduct GED preparation classes in English and Spanish for people working to better themselves by getting their High School degree?

Did you know that we have over 70 local conferences of volunteers working across North and Middle Georgia?

Did you know that we provided over $13 million dollars worth of direct financial assistance and in-kind support to people in need last year?

Did you know that we have a Pharmacy Program that provides free prescription medicine to people?
 
Would you like to learn more about what we do?  Would you like to help?  We'd love to have you.  Then you can tell people that you work with St. Vincent de Paul - and how incredibly proud you will be to do so!

Thanksgiving

Next Thursday is Thanksgiving and many people will gather with family and friends to celebrate the holiday with food, drink, conversation (and for some football and shopping).  For those who are traveling this Thanksgiving we wish you safe travels.

As we offer thanks for what we have and join with those we care about to enjoy our holiday meal let us not forget that there will be people - far too many people - who will have no family and friends to spend the day with, no TV to watch football and the parade, no money to take advantage of the shopping sales, and no food for a holiday meal; or maybe just enough food to barely get through another day.

The people in need who we serve at St. Vincent de Paul have many faces.  Some of those faces are those who are carrying a burden, and maybe have carried a lifetime burden, of poverty and need driven by many circumstances, life-choices, and behaviors.  Others have encountered a short term and bounded 'bump in the road' of life that they need some support getting through.  Some lack education or the training, and the opportunity to make a better life for themselves and their families.

What is important to remember is that these faces of need are not all the same.  Given what has happened in the economy over the last three years the profile of those people driven into circumstances of desperation and need has changed dramatically.  Need has many faces - and many of those faces look just like us, and our neighbors, and our family members, and our friends. 

We are the faces of need.  We are the faces of those who can help alleviate that need.

So next Thursday, as you enjoy your day, add to your prayer of Thanksgiving a prayer for who aren't enjoying their day.  Those for who Thanksgiving is just another painful days journey through a desperate situation. And if you can find a way to help those in need this holiday season, whether it be with your time, your talent, or your treasure, then please find a place where you can make a difference and do it.

Need has many faces - and so do we.

Peace and God Bless,
John